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If this has already been done, I apologize, but thought it might be interesting. We have a "what does your username mean" thread, and that's good, but I sometimes wonder just who some of us are. I have been around the forum long enough to get an impression of the usual suspects, but, my impression may be way off....as an example, I envisioned one member as very young, but reading some posts over the last few months, suspect they are retired....some others, on another forum I envisioned as an older professional, was also off, turns out they were in college....so, how about a thread with a bit about who we are? Wish it was members only, but who knows, I may get no response anyway. If you want, post up. I would suggest the usual online precautions, and not post info that is too personal!

I am a 39 YO male, married with a kid living in OKC. Spent 8 years n the Air Force as a C-130 air crew member in Alaska and Germany, flew regularly all over the world before going to work as a conductor and engineer for a Class 1 Railroad. Left the class 1 lifestyle for the Shortline/regional railroad world, where I have works in various capacities as an engineer and management. We enjoy kayaking, mountain biking, and camping (RV style....I like my air conditioning..) our family enjoys shooting sports such as skeet/trap/sporting clays, competitive pistol shooting, and collecting military firearms. I don't travel by train often, but work in a business trip when I can in lieu of my normal seat on Delta. I am socially moderate, fiscally conservative, and have a bit of a Libertarian slant politically. We are non denominational Christians, I don't floss as much as my dentist would like, and I need to drop 30 lbs or so. I travel extensively around the country, but try and keep a good work-home balance.

So, that's a bit about me. Im very interested to see just who we have on board here

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If this has already been done, I apologize, but thought it might be interesting. We have a "what does your username mean" thread, and that's good, but I sometimes wonder just who some of us are. I have been around the forum long enough to get an impression of the usual suspects, but, my impression may be way off....as an example, I envisioned one member as very young, but reading some posts over the last few months, suspect they are retired....some others, on another forum I envisioned as an older professional, was also off, turns out they were in college....so, how about a thread with a bit about who we are? Wish it was members only, but who knows, I may get no response anyway. If you want, post up. I would suggest the usual online precautions, and not post info that is too personal!

I am a 39 YO male, married with a kid living in OKC. Spent 8 years n the Air Force as a C-130 air crew member in Alaska and Germany, flew regularly all over the world before going to work as a conductor and engineer for a Class 1 Railroad. Left the class 1 lifestyle for the Shortline/regional railroad world, where I have works in various capacities as an engineer and management. We enjoy kayaking, mountain biking, and camping (RV style....I like my air conditioning..) our family enjoys shooting sports such as skeet/trap/sporting clays, competitive pistol shooting, and collecting military firearms. I don't travel by train often, but work in a business trip when I can in lieu of my normal seat on Delta. I am socially moderate, fiscally conservative, and have a bit of a Libertarian slant politically. We are non denominational Christians, I don't floss as much as my dentist would like, and I need to drop 30 lbs or so. I travel extensively around the country, but try and keep a good work-home balance.

So, that's a bit about me. Im very interested to see just who we have on board here

I have only found this forum the last few months but have gotten an idea of where the most frequent posters are coming from. Mostly they are helpful and I value the site a lot.

Me, first train trip in the 50's Minnesota to Rochester NY. I was very young at the time - Red River to Zephyr to Pacemaker to Rochester

Like riding trains but not a zealot, will take planes or maybe buses, don't own a car but rent one when it makes sense to me. Got the chance to ride a Nimitz-class carrier for 2 days (kid works there) and took it - the berths are way smaller than a roomette - and the crew had to live there for 250 days

I ride coach mostly, roomette if I have points or need to sleep.

Retired for now, worked health care IT many years. (Amtrak is so much better managed than any health care system in this country. As I get older, this worries me more, But not to discuss here.)

Socially liberal or maybe libertarian - won't argue the point, fiscally prudent, politically disgusted - that I must at the election - (pick (package A: has some things you want has some things you hate) or (package B: has some things you want and some things you hate)) but no chance to repackage the packages - but that not also to discuss here- only stating my position for information.

Im a 29 y.o male from Lafayette, Louisiana. I graduated in 2011 with a degree as an IT Network Specialist. I build and fix computers in my spare time. Due to the economy, I am still job hunting. Amtrak is my preferred method of travel. I dont drive due to being blind in one eye, so public transportation is my way of getting around. Im a laid back and easy going guy. Im always willing to meet new people. I feel that we can learn alot from each other, no matter what walk of life we may be from.

I enjoy AU for the friendly people, and the awesome discussions. I will remember to join in on the Sunday chat at some point so I can get to know some of you a bit better.

Anthony

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I'm 41 and from England. I have lived in different countries and am now in Switzerland. I've been a railfan as long as I can remember. In my earliest childhood I lived in a house that was right next to the rail tracks on which HSTs raced fast at full speed so that may have started it for me. I first came to the USA on a business trip in 2008 and used the opportunity by adding some days and taking some Amtrak trips. Since then I've been a big fan of Amtrak and try to come over as often as possible and my money and better half allow. I've been five times so far. I'm hoping to ultimately travel all routes. I'm also interested in streetcars and light rail and so my trips normally involve a mix of Amtrak and urban systems.

I love AU because of the friendly people and good spirit. I'm also on various other forums and groups and in some of them people can be mean or snobbish. On AU all questions are taken seriously and nobody is ridiculed for not knowing something. It's like family almost.

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Guest tampasteve1

Guest tampasteve1

I am a 30yo male living in Tampa, FL. I grew up here in Tampa and like the city. Married, but no kids. I work in IT communications. I have been very blessed to travel to many parts of the world and experience their transit, so far over 20 metro/LR systems and three HSR networks.

Steve

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I'm 40. I was born in Japan where I grew up (yes, I'm a caucasian US citizen - my parents are both from Oklahoma). I'm an aerospace engineer and I have been in the US since starting college back in 1990. In highschool, I commuted to school by rail (to one of only a couple decent American schools in the Tokyo area) an hour and a half each way, every day.

I've lived in Longview, TX (where I went to school), Orlando, FL where I did exactly the opposite of aero engineering and decided to work for a mouse for three years. Then I got back into aviation in Greenville TX, then Albuquerque, NM, to where I am now in Savannah, GA.

My first Amtrak ride was when I lived in Texas - I rode Amtrak to Ft Worth from Dallas and took the TRE back. Conductor thought I was nuts. Price back in 1998 was $6. Since then, I have been across the US - except between ABQ and CHI.

I'm a stout conservative. I love rail so long as we can support it, but I think that unbelieveable amount of waste is placing an undue burden on Amtrak allowing it to continue to be a political punching bag. I want to see Amtrak thrive and I want to see multiple high speed train systems criss cross the USA.

Note: Please don't comment to this post. This is just who I am. I'm sure ALL these topics will come up in AU at one time or another, and we'll discuss my positions and opinions in those threads. That's why I love AU.

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I'm in my 50's (can you tell I'm a female ) and am an application developer (VBA/VB.net). My first train ride was in 1967 when my father was transferred from GA to DE. I only have vague memories of the trip, but have wanted to take another LD trip ever since. I finally got my chance last year after my daughter moved to UT. When planning that trip, I found and joined AU and have been here everyday since. I have been fortunate enough to have met some AUers and am looking forward to meeting more this weekend.

I'd say I"m middle of the road politically. I have rarely voted for a candidate is so much as that I usually vote for the "lesser of two evils". This year might be tricky because the candidates are each on opposite ends of the two issues I'm compasssionate about. Since I consider one of the issues more imporatant than the other, I'll most likely vote in that direction.

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Let's see: I'm 52 years old, not married and no kids (was married briefly, at age 41, but 15 months later, came home to find my wife dead on the floor. She was from Kelso, WA, and I still have nostalgic pangs every time I'm on the CS or Cascades and we stop in Kelso). I've lived, gone to school, and worked all within a 60 mile radius here in southeastern Washington. In fact I now live about 4 blocks from the hospital I was born in. I have a B.S. degree in biology from Eastern Washington University, home of the 2010 national FCS football champions. Way to go Eagles! And that degree got me a scintillating career at our local grocery store, stocking shelves and doing janitorial work during the graveyard shift. Ah well, it pays the bills, pays the rent, puts food on the table (as those who met me at last year's gathering can attest ) and lets me have my toys and gives me enough to go on a couple of Amtrak trips a year. As for political leanings, refer to Shortline's opening post and you pretty much have mine summed up there. Like Amtrak Cajun, I'm blind in one eye, but am able to drive. Good thing, too, because it is a rural, sparsely populated area where I live and public transit opportunities here are few and far between.

I first began traveling by train in the pre-Amtrak era with a couple of trips from Spokane to Chicago and then Bloomington, first in 1963, and next in 1965. I don't remember the first trip, but I do the second, when my mom, sister, and I traveled to and from Chicago via Great Northern's version of the Empire Builder. My mom was raised in Central Illinois, near Champaign, and met my dad, who was from here in SE Washington, on a blind date, while he was stationed at Chanute AFB in Rantoul, IL. He and my mom moved back here after he was discharged, and the train was the preferred method to travel back and forth, at least at first, to visit my grandparents. I've loved train travel ever since, but for one reason or two others, never got to take a long-distance train trip for 39 years, until 2004. Since then, every year I meet up with my uncle, my mom's younger brother, who lives in Illinois, and we take a train trip together every year. He, too, got his start in train travel when he used to come out our way with my grandparents and he's loved it ever since too. I do fly when the need arises as well.

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I'm a 22 year old college student currently majoring in Computer Science and on track to graduate in about a year (if they can stop playing with the class schedule). I'm also an Eagle Scout and continue to volunteer with my scout troop as an adult leader. My career plans may involve the railroads, but not on the operational side. I was thinking about working for Norfolk Southern here in Atlanta as an application developer, but I've started thinking more recently about finding a job in or near New York City, maybe not with a railroad to start with though.

My experience with railroads goes way back. My late grandfather worked for L&N in Tilford yard here in Atlanta from the end of World War II till 1982 in a variety of positions. He introduced me to a small plastic trainset on his dining room table when I was not even a year old. Apparently he encouraged me to "get it, get it" so that day I learned about another aspect of trains: derailments! The earliest train ride I can remember is at Walt Disney World and I'll jump at the chance to ride a train. My first Amtrak trip (just a short one) was in 2008, shortly after which I joined this site and stuck around. My first real Amtrak trip however was just this past May on the Crescent to New York then a regional to Boston (and back). In the past few years, I've definitely remained a dedicated railfan, however, I've also become something of a lone-wolf transit advocate espousing the benefits of transit (of all types, not just rail ) to anyone who will listen (whether they really want to or not! )

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Age 50 - railfan since before I could walk when my railfan grandfather used to take me along to watch the afternoon freight switch the Champion Paper Mill in Canton, NC. (NOTHING like the sound of a quintet of Southern Railway F-7's growling upgrade with 60 cars of pulpwood and wood chips)

I am a high school guidance counselor by profession and had a great time as a volunteer Train Host for the North Carolina DOT when I lived in Fayetteville, NC in the 1990's. Worked my way through graduate school using GI Bill money and driving a bus for the University of Maryland Shuttle system. My favorite routes to drive were those which met MARC Commuter Trains at College Park and New Carollton..... particularly since MARC was still using some elderly F-units supplemented by a half-dozen former Burlington E-9's on their Camden Line trains in those days. The F's sounded just like the ones I grew up seeing with my grandfather when they accelerated out of a station stop.

My first passenger train experiences were 'pre-Amtrak' but that is because Southern Railway didn't initially join Amtrak. In the early 1970's I rode train 4 from Asheville to Old Fort, the Piedmont from Salisbury to Washington, DC, and the the Southern Crescent from Atlanta to Washington. My first Amtrak ride was on the Silver Star from Hamlet, NC to DeLand, FL in 1977. With only a few exceptions now (The Downeaster, The Pere Marquette, and The San Joaquin), I have ridden every Amtrak route currently operated at least once. I have rides on a few Amtrak trains which no longer operate (Floridian, Shenandoah, Pioneer). In each case there are even sections of the rail routes themselves which have been abandoned.

I have a variety of railfan interests - the Shay locomotives at Cass, WV, The Colorado Narrow Gauges, true Dome Cars all cause me to stop and take notice. I also try to seek out at least one opportunity each year to ride an excursion train on a route that no longer has regular passenger service.

I have a wife and a 7-year old daughter. My wife thinks I am having an affair with 'Julie' because every time I call her on the phone, I disappear a few days later on a 'train trip'. I did take the family from Albuquerque to Chicago this past summer using Guest Reward Points for the Family Bedroom. It was my daughter's first overnight train ride and she loved it.

Other interests include having spent a number of summers involved working with competitive drum and bugle corps, watching college basketball games, and not alienating old friends by trying to change their way of thinking in regard to politics and religion...... or rooting preference in college basketball even.

Venture Forth - Go out there and ride the Southwest Chief over Raton Pass while you still can. Just do it!

Edited October 3, 2012 by Notelvis

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I'm 70 and grew up riding the Gulf Coast Rebel between Mobile and St. Louis. My profession was statistics from which I've long since retired. My hobbies are computer programming and bicycle riding. My motto is automobiles are great - for the handicapped.

I am 60 and retired from two professions-- high school principal and reference librarian. Wife and I have been married for 34 years, met at The Ohio State University. I have a M.A. in history. She has a degree in geology and is an artist and jewelry maker. We collect many things and love to go to antique auctions and flea markets. We have a cat who has given us joy for over 12 years.

We started riding Amtrak five years ago and have now covered most of the routes across the country. (See profile below). Just returned from a trip to Salt Lake City on the CZ, an auto tour of Yellowstone and Grand Tetons, and return. Future trips include Auto Train, and some trips on the Adirondack and Vermonter.

My hobbies are golf, model railroading, collecting railroad lanterns, genealogy-family history, and volunteering with Lions Club in our town. I am chairperson of our Salvation Army Bell Ringers committee and do highway cleanups and recycling as well as do hearing and vision testing in the local schools. I have authored a book on the Lorain, Ashland & Southern Railroad in Ohio and give lectures on railroad history and do talks on Amtrak riding at our local library.

I also serve on our local housing board that owns 12 homes for developmentally disabled men and women in our county. We have acquired very nice homes for these individuals in great neighborhoods and it is very satisfying to see them flourish in a positive environment.

I believe I am busier now than when I was working, but it is a lot of fun working on these projects.

We had many railroaders in our family history including my brother who has been an engineer for over 30 years. My wife's uncle was a conductor on the PRR for 35 years.

We have enjoyed our relationship with the many fine people on Amtrak Unlimited. The amount of knowledge they have provided has been very useful in our enjoyment of Amtrak.

I have found that discussions of politics and religion generally lead to lost friendships and therefore: I try to avoid them if possible

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Let's see. 72, short, fat, bald and bespectacled. Political progressive, old-fogey cultural conservative (tats and piercings appall me). Retired newsie. Still write books. (Shameless promotion: "Zephyr: Tracking a Dream Across America," now out as an updated ebook.) Contributor to Trainweb.org. Serious amateur photographer (that means I own a camera I couldn't really afford.) Grew up with American Flyer, helped elder brother with his HO pike, had own HO and N layouts, still drag out the G scale train and loop to amuse the grandchildren at Christmas. Former private pilot, but hate commercial flying. Summer in the U.P. of Michigan and winter in the Chicago area. Considers himself lucky to be living only 40 minutes away from Chicago Union Station. Bucket list: The (former) Skeena, VIA's train to Churchill, the Copper Canyon, and if I should ever become a $500,000 MacArthur Fellow, the Blue Train and the Trans-Siberian Express.

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I am just an ordinary guy, living an ordinary life in Texas. Two uncles and several cousins were railroaders. One uncle retired as an engineer for ATSF, another was a mechanic (brakeman) for ATSF. Cousin who was my age (he died at the young age of 21) was switch engine operator at the old Santa Fe roundhouse in GLE. Lot's of train in family tree!

Myself, the Texas Eagle is my home train, live in DFW area. Only train I've rode other than the Eagle is the Heartland Flyer, but g/f and I are going to use some AGR points to ride the CS as soon as we can plan days off from work together. She had never ridden the train before meeting me, her first trip was FTW-OKC on the Flyer, but we have made several "in Texas" trips on the Eagle. my longest (so far) trip was FTW-STL.

I have had the wonderful, humbling experience to have served my hometown as a local elected official since 1995, being elected eight times. It is a non partisan position, and I like it that way! It is basically unpaid, voluntary position, that entails about 10 hours a week...I hold a full time job elsewhere.

AU is a rich source of information, and I really enjoyed the "Texas Mini-Gathering" a while back...met several people and enjoyed some grand company and a few laughs.

I'm 36 years old. I'm a born and raised Tennessean living in the same small town my pioneer ancestors settled in 1807. I have a bachelor of arts in social science and foreign language with a business minor. I'm an Episcopalian and very active in the church.

I grew up in a railroad culture. I live only one block from an active CSX mainline that members of my family worked on for years. We have a railroad museum in our town where I currently serve on the board of directors. I have other civic interests as well, but chiefly I'm interested in making rural small towns more liveable and economically viable. I see passenger rail and bus transportation as a way to improve the livelihood of small town America.

Politically I am conservative, socially and fiscally. I do NOT see Amtrak as a "communist rail system". I have misgivings about some of Amtrak's operating patterns, but overall I am pleased with the company and I hope they continually improve. I have traveled over 35,000 miles on Amtrak in a 25-year period.

I love to read and study history and I enjoy architecture as well.

I enjoy railroading, but I do not consider myself a "railfan". When I travel Amtrak or any other passenger railroad, I cleverly disguise myself as an ordinary, everyday passenger. I came to this forum because I like to discuss the way Amtrak operates, how it can improve, and what needs to be corrected, though I don't pretend to be an expert who knows more than the people who work at it every day. I like to help people plan trips on Amtrak so that they can enjoy it as much as I do.

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I am a 68 y/o retired nurse. I had a father who was very fond of trains, especially steam. He rode trains a lot in his youth. I grew up in State College, PA where my parents were both employed by the university. Daddy had summers off, so we drove to MO where Daddy grew up, with a stop in Ohio to visit maternal relatives. We spent about six weeks every summer in a town so small it didn't have paved streets. The last year of WWII, with gas rationing, the parents couldn't drive to MO, so we took the train, in a pullman. I have a sister one year older...We were always told one of us fell out of the berth...but I don't know which it was. We would have been one and two then. Of course, while we were in MO, the war ended, and we were stuck in MO with a car back in PA.

Daddy liked to take us on a drive on Sunday afternoons, and quite often that would take us to the station in Lewistown, to 'watch the trains go through'. Mostly freights. Some trips to the Horseshoe Curve. We might go to Altoona to shop, and always parked near the station. I took the train to go to NYC to college, and home on vacations. Summer vacations in college I took the train to MO (actually, Chariton IA) to join my parents. I splurged once and had a roomette on the Broadway Limited to Chicago. I actually took my first commercial flight because of a railroad strike. The parents were expecting me to come by bus...at least a 12 hour ride, as opposed to five hours on the train. I called Allegheny and booked for $35 from LGA to Philipsburg. I walked in the door as they were ready to go out to dinner (a Saturday night ritual), wondering when and how I would be arriving...In retrospect, I should have told them as I know Daddy would have loved to meet the plane...But I was afraid they would veto the move...

I lived in Germany three years, courtesy of Uncle Sam, and rode trains there...But I haven't ridden one (other than the Subway in various cities around the world) in 33 years. I have been doing a lot of ocean cruising. I did a lot of world travel while my sister stayed home and raised four girls. Now, I am trying to show her my world. That includes my USA, and in July/August we did a road trip of perhaps 7000 miles. I think it was one of the best trips ever.

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I am a young 21 years old. Live as it says in the lefthand column Lafayette Hill,PA, Whitemarsh Township about 10 miles from PHL. Major rail advocate. Don't fly unless it's over water or it's somewhere the flight will be faster if it's an emergency. If the train goes there I'll be on it. Took a 31 day trip across country and into Western Canada in 2007 with my Dad who is now sadly not able to travel due to physical conditions.

I am a Volunteer Firefighter and have been for 4 years. It gets in your blood fast. I run with the Barren Hill Fire Company which is the busiest of three fire companies in Whitemarsh Township. During Heavy Rains Whitemarsh has a history to flood we respond on multiple Water Rescues in 24 hours.

I've been through a recent breakup. I met her in High School and we dated for 3 1/2 years. I traveled frequently to RTE to see her.

I suffer from a minor case of Tourette's Syndrome.

I'm a skilled photographer. I enjoy photographing trains anywhere.

Steve (Acela150)

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I am retired from the Air Force and approaching retirement from my second career (will be 65 in a couple of months). I am a native Virginian. Grew up watching the Southern and C&O trains stop in Culpeper, VA. Occasionally, I got to watch the C&O paasenger trains being switched at the Charolottesville C&O station. My first overnight train trip was on the B&O Capitol Ltd round trip CHI - WAS.

Currently RVR is my home station. Most of my travels are between RVR and BOS. Most of my family were ambivalent about Amtrak. After some bad experiences with the airlines, I suggested to my wife that she might want to try Amtrak. I took her on 66 to BOS. She loved it. She now travels Amtrak when possible. So far we've done SAN - RVR twice. RVR - SAN once. RVR -MIA roundtrip. Before my wife started traveling with me, I was able to ride the Sunset Ltd from NOL to Jacksonville.

I don't contribute alot here as I don't get to check in every day. Thus, on those occasions when I know an answer, it has been answered by the time I get to read the post.

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66 year old retired educator living in northeast Michigan. Retired as high school principal in 2000. BS (yes it fits) degree from Central Michigan University with a major in biology and a minor in geography. MA degree (also CMU) in secondary school administration. Also attended Lake Superior State University (3 years undergrad) and Saginaw Valley State (a few grad classes).

Married 42 years to the same woman I met in college. She too is an educator and we love to travel. One son who is an attorney (I call him a scum sucking pig) whom I love dearly and two wonderful grandchildren. Also have two cats who keep us entertained.

My love of trains goes WAY back. My father loved trains and we did some train travel as a family. My first recollection of train travel is a trip from Phoenix to LA and back. I was very young, maybe three or so, so I don't know what line we rode but I know it was a streamliner. I do remember going through the desert and the loco having a flat wheel. It was disconnected and we sat in the desert for several hours while a new loco was brought from wherever they bring locos from. My dad also took me on some short trips around the Phoenix area. I know some of those trips were on Santa Fe.

One of my uncles was a train man. He worked for the NYC and among other jobs, ended up trainmaster in Jackson, MI. Before that he was trainmaster in Bay City, MI (we moved there when I was seven). He used to take me to the yards there and hand me off to the crew on switch engines (steam) where I learned to blow the whistle, "drive" the engine, and was "allowed" to shovel coal. In those days, there was an overnight train from Bay City to Chicago. He would take me to the passenger depot where he would hand me off to the sleeping car porter and I would "help" him make up rooms. Great memories.

My wife and I have taken a few trips on Amtrak although not nearly as many as I would like to. Living where I do is not conducive to train travel. We have taken a few trips to Chicago on Wolverine service and Bluewater service. We have also made two trips to the Pacific northwest. The first trip was on the Pioneer to Seattle and the EB on the return to Chicago. Our last trip was to Vancouver, BC. for an Alaska cruise. We loved the Talgo between Seattle and Vancouver. Round trip on the EB for that trip. We have also ridden the City of New Orleans round trip from Chicago.

I have ridden Amtrak, obviously. I have also ridden Santa Fe, L&N (lived in Louisville a couple of years between Phoenix and Bay City), NYC, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific (rode the Canadian between Sudbury and Toronto while I was living in Sault Ste. Marie), Grand Trunk, VIA, and Algoma Central. There may be more but I can't think of them right now. There have also been a few commuter trips but other than New Jersey Transit and GO (Toronto), I can't remember which ones. I have also ridden subways in New York, Chicago (El too), and Toronto and street cars in Toronto and Detroit (People Mover too). There may be others I cannot recall.

My worst train trip was back in about 1964 or 65. I was on CN between London, Ontario, and Detroit on a Sunday morning when a car hit the train at a crossing. I was one of three people on the train to witness the accident. The car hit the back wheels of the car I was riding in and I was sitting just in front of the back wheels. I remember it like it was yesterday. Three killed in the car. CN police came to my house to interview me a few days after the accident. Cars do not win against trains. The family in the car was on their way to church.

My wife and I love to travel and we spend the winters in Destin, FL. Sure wish the Sunset was still operating east of NO. We are taking a Caribbean cruise in January and going to Disney World in February. Our next big trip we have planned is next fall. We hope to drive to DC and then down the Blue Ridge Parkway. In all my travels, we have ever done that even though we have been all around it.

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I'm a 61 yr old semi retired farmer/rancher with parkinsons(which slows me own).My home station is Houston Tx which limits my travel possibilities(Sunset Limited and a thruway bus).Where I need to travel there is no Amtrak service(Nashville Tn). I have riden The Tx Eagle twice(St Louis and Chicago),Sunset Limited(San antonio) and The Houston section of the Tx.Eagle,twice.My goal is to ride the Empire Builder,Coast Starlight and Cal Zephyr before the parkinsons d oes me in. I tire easily so multiple rest stops would be necessary as I travel coach. On the train I just relax and time passes quickly. Politically Amtrak is ignored in Houston and except for Senator Kay Baily Hutchinson (R Tx), Texas has few suporters in congress. Passenger rail service is sorely needed between Houston and Dallas,but I doubt if it happens in my lifetime.I am afraid that with the political climate we will be lucky if the long distance trains survive. I love riding a train .................William........ .still producing fresh vegetables and beef for you

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I am a 70-yr. old retired NY State civil servant, now living on a small horse farm near Ocala, FL with my wife, two horses, two dogs, and two cats. I've been riding trains since the mid-40's (steam on the State of Maine Express), and now consider Palatka or Deland my home stations. I won't ride the Ambus to/from Ocala. On my bucket list:

1. Palatka or Lake City to the Mississippi Gulf Coast on either the SL or whatever else Amtrak comes up with.